Article · Pages 1-7
Adam Smith on Prudence before Benevolence
It is generally not possible for benevolence to precede prudence because it is prudence that allows one to create a surplus that can be used later for benevolence. One can’t give what one does not have. Sympathy, without the application of prudence first, is generally ineffective sentiment. Only prudence allows one to follow up sympathy with actions. One can imagine a poor Good Samaritan with no horse, no wine, no oil, and no bag of silver coins having sympathy for the badly beaten and robbed traveller on the very dangerous road to Jericho, but, because of his imprudent behaviour in the past, not being able to act benevolently. The Good Samaritan would then go down in history as the Sympathetic Samaritan, who could take no actions of any importance to mitigate the sufferings of the beaten man. Smith gives a general guide to how the virtues are implemented in his Theory of Moral Sentiments. What follows below is what, in my opinion, is what Smith presented before his final revision of 1790: (I) Prudence was the most important virtue and was generally applied first; (II) Temperance and fortitude(self-command) supports prudence and is usually applied after prudent behaviour; (III) Justice is usually applied after prudence and self command; (IV) Benevolence is generally applied last. Smith’s revisions of 1790, especially in Part VI, essentially make the virtues of temperance, courage( or Self -Command being a combination of temperance and courage)and justice as co -equals with Prudence. A referee makes a good point that the final view of Smith is that prudence, industry and frugality can generate the material independence and resources that make many forms of beneficence sustainable.